BNP leader grilled by Newsbeat listeners

By Debbie Randle
Newsbeat reporter Nick Griffin claims he's changed his party for the better

The British National Party is one of the most controversial in Britain. Leader Nick Griffin was elected to the European Parliament in June, provoking anger from many MPs who are concerned about the political party's far-right views.

During the 10 years he's been in charge of the BNP, Mr Griffin says the party has grown from 1,200 members to nearly 14,000 and says the party's new stance and its policies are starting to attract people.

We asked Newsbeat listeners to text in with questions they want him to answer.

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Many of our listeners have texted in to say they're angry at us for even giving you air time. Suzanne in Southend says we're allowing you to give racist views to loads of young people, Simon says we should be ashamed of ourselves - and another text says we should now have an Islam extremist group on too. What do you say to that?

Well if we end up discussing immigration it will be because you ask me that question. I don't think that ordinary listeners as a matter of fact really are interested, to most people we are just another political party with a slightly different slant.

But if people are concerned about what they think are my views, they really need to think, have they heard it direct from my lips or have they heard it in what they've been told by other people in the mass media?

Jules in Milton Keynes wants to know, 'Can a black man join the BNP?'

At the moment not, but it's not because they're black. It's to do with if you're indigenous British and historically the indigenous British happened to be what the BBC and the ruling elite call white. There's lots of black people vote for us, lots of Sikhs vote for us but in terms of joining we've been like a flip side to the Black Police Officers Association - it's not for white people.

Andy from Croydon asked, 'Both my parents are white and English but my Granddad on my mother's side is Sri Lankan which has given me quite a dark tan and I look ethnic, will I loose rights as a British citizen? So when are you allowed to call yourself British?'

It's if you're indigenous or if the indigenous people accept you as one of them. And it's actually also obvious in Britain who is indigenous or completely assimilated to the indigenous way of doing things.

Katie in Glossop said, 'He's nothing but a racist bigot and he makes me feel ashamed to call myself British!' We asked Mr Griffin if he understands texts like this if he looks back at the history of the BNP and where it's come from?

In the old days it was something a bit coarser and cruder than what it is now.

I would actually like a little bit of credit for having changed a party which was, in some ways, a menace to everything around it including itself, into something which is electable, sensible and mainstream.

It gives people who are concerned about the way the country's going a legitimate democratic outlet for their concerns.

A text from someone called J read, 'I'm from Keighley in West Yorkshire and I will be voting BNP for the rest of my life. Areas of our town are forbidden to white people and the racial abuse we receive for being white females is a disgrace.' Most of the texts Newsbeat received were to do with immigration - so what are your other policies? What would you do to get us out of this recession?

We would not have spent the untold billions of pounds bailing out the corrupt and failed banks. We would have let them go to the wall and we'd have put the money into establishing really decent productive industry.

Mark texted in to ask, 'Would you withdraw our troops from Afghanistan?'

Yes absolutely so. That war has got nothing to do with us. We haven't got a right to be there, neither do we have a duty to be there.

Rosie from Hertfordshire said: 'I'd like to ask Nick Griffin how he sleeps at night knowing he stands for prejudice and overtly discriminate politics. The BNP is disgusting.'

I sleep very well and Rosie's entitled to her view and although I disagree with it I'd fight to the death to allow her to have those views.